Iran says March talks could yield interim deal, but insists right to enrich - Reuters
Iran and the United States remain divided over the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief in their indirect talks, but there is a possibility of reaching an interim agreement in early March, a senior Iranian official told Reuters.
The official said Tehran could “seriously consider” a mix of steps aimed at addressing concerns over its nuclear program, including exporting part of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU), diluting its purity level, and participating in a regional consortium arrangement.
However, the official stressed that Iran’s right to uranium enrichment within the framework of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) “must be recognized” in any deal.
“Iran and US views differ over the scope and mechanism of sanctions relief,” the official said, without elaborating on the specific gaps.
The official said indirect talks between Tehran and Washington are expected to resume in early March and that “the possibility of reaching an interim deal exists” if differences can be narrowed.
On economic issues, the official said Iran would not hand over control of its oil and mineral resources to the United States.
At the same time, the official added that US companies could participate as contractors in Iran’s oil and gas fields, indicating potential scope for limited commercial engagement under a future agreement.
